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Valve has made no (public) plans to release a linux client. Just because files existed on some server does not mean they will release a linux client - it's just that someone has at the very least looked into the technical side of things.

For another thing, the graphics situation on Linux, although rapidly improving, is still relatively abysmal. If I were Valve, I probably wouldn't even consider releasing a Linux port for probably another year or so; who's going to buy games that, in 90% of cases, run like crap?

Can we end this FUD campaign already?
According to Valve's own surveys [1] more than 60% of their Windows users are using nVidia hardware.
Compare this to Phoronix's own survey (you'll need to do some digging), and you'll see that someone that's even remotely interested in gaming under Linux is usually using nVidia hardware coupled with the nVidia binary driver - which performs under Linux just as good as it does under Windows. (Most likely because they share the same code).

Sure, ATI drivers have yet to reach the nVidia level, but their ATI's drivers, even under Windows, were always their soft spot.

Valve should not have any problems targeting nVidia + binary (ID has been doing it for years now... Same goes [to same extent] for Epic and LGP).

just look up AMD's finacial reports and size. Then think a moment about linux marketshare. And suddenly you must realize that AMD is pouring an almost insane amount of money into its linux user base.
And all they get back is bitching.

You make it sound like charity. Maybe AMD should file for tax-exempt status But no I don't agree with this at all. To be honest I don't think they are contributing enough to the Linux graphics stack, especially when compared to VMware and Red Hat. But maybe this "insane amount of money" they are pouring into Linux is going to too much management and this is where the problem is.

And people are bitching because they are unhappy with the current state of the ATI drivers. What do you expect them do, sing Hallelujah?

they are releasing documentation for all of their hardware. Not too long ago people were yelling 'give us docs, we do the rest and in mere month we will have superduperüberdrivers'. Hmm...

Actually they are doing more.
They are giving the docs -and- having employees work on the OSS driver, and as far as I know their OSS driver (at least for the older chipset) is progressing -very- nicely. (Though I doubt that it could be used for games - even in the long run).

In an ideal world, AMD/ATI and nVidia would have released the code and work with the community on an OSS driver (Much like Intel does).
We don't live in an ideal world, but AMD is doing its best.

Actually they are doing more.
They are giving the docs -and- having employees work on the OSS driver, and as far as I know their OSS driver (at least for the older chipset) is progressing -very- nicely. (Though I doubt that it could be used for games - even in the long run).

In an ideal world, AMD/ATI and nVidia would have released the code and work with the community on an OSS driver (Much like Intel does).
We don't live in an ideal world, but AMD is doing its best.

EXACTLY. And all they get is bitching.

Originally Posted by gilboa

... Which doesn't make their binary drivers, good, mind you.

- Gilboa

and if you think fglrxy sucks, you are free to help to make the OSS driver perfect. So people have no reason to bitch around.

Actually they are doing more.
They are giving the docs -and- having employees work on the OSS driver, and as far as I know their OSS driver (at least for the older chipset) is progressing -very- nicely. (Though I doubt that it could be used for games - even in the long run).

The Gallium3D driver (nouveau in my case) actually runs HL2 in Wine. Only with -dxlevel 60 and its performance is so bad that it's unplayable. But it doesn't crash. It also runs any game you can find in the software repositories. Once OpenGL support reaches 2.x, nothing on the driver side will prevent Linux gaming.

Actually they are doing more.
They are giving the docs -and- having employees work on the OSS driver, and as far as I know their OSS driver (at least for the older chipset) is progressing -very- nicely. (Though I doubt that it could be used for games - even in the long run).

HoN, a rather recent linux-native game is working just fine on the r300 gallium-driver. I guess by the time the Source-games are released for Linux, it will be able to handle them just fine as well (the "old" ones atleast, like HL2), judging by the speed they're progressing.